It’s the season for way-too-early predictions. So let’s talk about two sleeping giants—Mike Norvell’s Florida State and Lincoln Riley’s USC. You know, they could be waking up in time to wreck the 2025 college football narrative. And if you haven’t been paying attention, now’s the time to lock in. Let’s start in Tallahassee. After a 2-10 disastrous season in 2024, we can’t blame anyone for leaving them as an afterthought. And let’s just say the Seminoles weren’t just bad, they were unlucky. 

ESPN’s Bill Connelly had them ranked 129th in turnover luck and 110th in lineup consistency. In simple terms, there was no break for the Noles with constant injuries and a defense that didn’t know how to fumble the football. But Mike Norvell basically hit the reset button. Now, it’s not just Connelly who’s optimistic about the team. Chip Patterson is riding the same train. In a new Cover 3 Podcast episode on May 8, he made a bold prediction that Mike Norvell’s Florida State could be one of the “four candidates who could start the year unranked and then end up finishing inside the AP top 10.” And that’s calculated hype. 

Mike Norvell brought in new coordinators—OC Gus Malzahn and DC Tony White—and nearly 50 new players. “Norvell has brought in new coordinators and plenty of new players, and the Noles are almost guaranteed to jump up from 2-10. With a little luck, that jump could be a pretty big one,” per Connelly’s statement. But there’s the big starting hitch.

FSU begins its season with one of the most anticipated openers in the country—vs. Alabama at Doak Campbell Stadium. August 30. If the Noles win that one, the only big challenges will come from Miami, Clemson, and Florida. So, their 2025 schedule is less of a grind and more of a redemption tour. 

Now flip coasts. Lincoln Riley and USC have been quieter than usual this spring. Yeah, the Trojans lost Miller Moss to Louisville, who threw six TDs in the Holiday Bowl in 2023. But that doesn’t mean they’re dead. They’ve fixed a crucial need in revamping their defense. Hiring D’Anton Lynn as DC was a power move. And the names that popped this spring include RB Bryan Jackson, TE Lake McRee, and OL Alani Noa. And they’re among Patterson’s hype teams that can shock folks by the end of the season—“Oklahoma from the SEC, USC from the Big Ten, Florida State from the ACC, Utah from the Big 12.” But the real story is Lincoln Riley’s regret. 

Lincoln Riley gets real on what he should’ve done

Lincoln Riley’s biggest regret is that he waited too long to build a recruiting foundation at the high school level. After a heavy 11-win debut season, he went portal-heavy instead of stocking up on local talent. No wonder other blue blood programs are stealing right from under his nose. “If I had any regret about our path up to this,” he said on the Y-Option Podcast. “I would have started that after the first year instead of after the second year.” And that’s him owning his mistake and correcting it. 

GM Chad Bowden and the position coaches are now making a big push in the SoCal high school scene. The hype is real, and it’s already paying off. While the 2025 class is decent, the 2026 cycle is the real deal. Lincoln Riley’s team is No. 1 in the country with 27 total commits, where 56% are in-state talents.

As recruit RB Deshonne Redeaux said, “Chad has made a big impact in the program. He came in with the right agenda, keeping the hometown kids home.” Some of the biggest California recruits include 5-star CB RJ Sermons, 4-star edge Simote Katoanga, and 4-star CB Brandon Lockhart, among others. 

So here we are. FSU is looking for redemption, and USC is searching for respect. Both are unranked for now but loaded with something to prove. Time to set our wakeup alarms?